What are antique Dazey butter churns?

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Quick Answer

Dazey butter churns were manufactured by the Dazey Churn and Manufacturing Company beginning in 1906. Antique is defined by About as any item made before the early 1920s. Based on that definition, Dazey butter churns made from 1906 through the early 1920s are antiques, and those made after that are collectibles or vintage.

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According to Doug and Linda’s Dairy Antique Site, the first churns made by Dazey Churn were constructed of glass in the shape of a square jar with rounded edges and ranged from one to four quarts in size. The metal lid had a gear and handle on top with a paddle, called a dasher blade, extending to the bottom of the jar.

The lid was placed on the jar and the paddle was turned with the handle to churn the cream into butter. Dazey Churn continued to improve the product over the years and received several U.S. patents for their churn inventions.

Many of the jars have the company name embossed in a circle, which makes them easy to identify. Reproductions often appear in the market and are sometimes sold as originals. RealOrRepro.com offers a guide to identifying the reproductions.

In the early 1900s, many people didn't have refrigerators to keep products cool. Because most churned butter was sweet, or unsalted, its shelf life was only a couple of days. Churning more than a family could use in that time frame would go to waste. Daisy Churn made butter churns from 1906 to the 1950s, when demand for manual butter churns declined due to household refrigerators.